Viewpoint: The Merits of Staying Fly

Demetrious Johnson has shown a willingness to move up in weight.
| Photo: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com

Despite being the smallest champion in the world’s largest mixed
martial arts organization, Demetrious
Johnson has super-sized plans.

Shortly after securing the first finish of his
Ultimate Fighting Championship tenure -- a fifth-round armbar
submission of John Moraga
in the
UFC on Fox 8 main event on Saturday in Seattle -- the reigning
flyweight king turned his attention to the rarified air usually
reserved for his heavier, more celebrated brethren: the super
fight.

“I think everybody was focused on Anderson
Silva and [Georges St.
Pierre], but I think we can make some fun super fights down in
the lighter weight divisions with the flyweights fighting the
bantamweights. Let’s see what happens,” Johnson said. “I’m just
here to fight and have fun and put on a good performance for the
UFC and the fans.”

To borrow a catchphrase from ESPN college football analyst Lee
Corso, my initial response is this: not so fast, my friend.

Each division in the UFC is defined by its champion. When compared
with some of the promotion’s more established weight classes, the
125-pounders have toiled in relative anonymity, striving for
acceptance from those who have not learned to appreciate the
smaller man’s unique blend of speed, technique and skill. While
some will always seek alternate viewing options when flyweights are
on the marquee, Johnson appears to be on the verge of a
breakthrough.

His performance against Moraga was simply the latest and perhaps
most significant step in the evolution of “Mighty Mouse.” Faced
with an opponent who echoed many of the same criticisms Johnson has
endured since the flyweights were introduced -- that he was boring,
fought for points and did not look to finish -- the Washington
native showed Moraga just how far it is from the Facebook prelims
to the main stage. Johnson took down the former Arizona State
University wrestler 12 times, passed guard repeatedly and used his
confounding speed to gain a 112 to 53 advantage in total strikes;
and when it might have been easier to shift into cruise control,
Johnson put himself at risk to end the bout emphatically.

In the aftermath, Johnson would not acknowledge that he was trying
to send a message to his detractors, but he did not have to. His
actions in the Octagon said enough.

“I don’t think when I go out there,” Johnson told Fuel TV. “I’m
just going out to fight. I’m an artist, and the Octagon is my
canvas. I just went for the armbar and was waiting for it to pop.
Then the ref said it was over and he had tapped.”

It may have come later than any other stoppage in the promotion’s
history, but there is no denying the significance of a submission
that could do wonders to alter the public perception of Johnson’s
killer instinct -- or lack thereof. Finishes tend to linger in the
memory banks longer than decisions, no matter how masterfully
crafted the latter might be. Still, this was exactly what Johnson
was supposed to do.

Despite all of his pre-fight bravado, it was foolhardy to think
Moraga would be able to accomplish what Joseph
Benavidez and John Dodson,
arguably the world’s best flyweights outside of Johnson, could
not.

Johnson’s journey through the division’s ranks at first seemed
improbable and then became inspiring, as the
AMC Pankration product kept finding ways to win, dispatching
Ian
McCall, Benavidez and Dodson in succession. Johnson survived
adversity, adapted and improved to get where he is today. Good
fortune has taken his side, as well. Were it not for a tabulation
error at UFC on FX 2, Johnson’s run might have been short-circuited
by McCall in a sudden victory round in Australia before it ever
began. With that said, MMA is littered with what-if scenarios, so
credit Johnson for learning from his near-failure against “Uncle
Creepy” and never looking back.

Now Johnson has thrown his hat into the super fight ring. While
“Mighty Mouse” is clearly one of the sport’s pound-for-pound best,
it is erroneous to think he has cleaned out his division. When
similar questions surrounded Silva or St. Pierre, it came after a
string of one-sided victories. Johnson, meanwhile, has encountered
enough resistance in wins over Benavidez and Dodson that a rematch
with either or both would still be compelling.

“Reporters keep asking me, ‘When’s he gonna get the respect he’s
due?’ I think he’s earned that respect,” UFC President Dana White
said at the UFC on Fox 8 post-fight press conference. “I think he
proved he’s one of the best in the world; he’s unbelievable.
Tonight he proved it; he looked amazing. We had the same question
with Anderson and GSP, but I’m sure there’s going to be someone for
him to fight.”

Once upon a time, Johnson was a bantamweight and a damn good one at
that, just not the best in the world. That point was driven home in
a five-round loss to Dominick
Cruz in October 2011. Cruz’s advantages in strength and
wrestling, though not normally his best assets, were enough to
offset Johnson’s speed and pace. His efforts were game, but Johnson
was awarded just one round on one judge’s scorecard that night.

Cruz remains on the mend from multiple knee surgeries, and his
timetable for a return is uncertain. However, Renan Barao
is a formidable interim champion, albeit one with perhaps less name
value than some of the top dogs at flyweight. When Johnson floated
the idea of a potential super fight with the bantamweight division,
he alluded to the big money that such a bout featuring the likes of
Silva, St. Pierre or Jon Jones
would command.

It is understandable that Johnson would want to fatten his bank
account, but a showdown with Barao is not going to fill a football
stadium by itself. Johnson has gradually built his name by fighting
on network television and knocking off the best talent in his own
weight class. His branding remains a work in progress, but a loss
to someone like Barao would impede his ascent more than a win would
accelerate it.

Outside of Urijah
Faber, bantamweight does not have any obvious box-office draws.
Depth in the flyweight division is undeniably thin, but existing
challenges for Johnson -- even if they are return dates -- are
plenty perilous. Both divisions need more time to grow, more time
to embed their champions in the minds of the masses. Johnson, for
one, is doing his part.